On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Vox editor-at-large and co-creator of the podcast Arden, Emily VanDerWerff. Twenty years after the events of The Matrix Revolutions, Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo (Keanu Reeves) is once again confronted with a decision to forgo his ordinary life and open his mind to The Matrix....
Dec 24, 2021•54 min
On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate features editor Jeffrey Bloomer to spoil the latest Jane Campion movie, Power of the Dog. When domineering rancher Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets his brother’s new wife Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), he takes an instant dislike to them. Phil tire...
Dec 10, 2021•44 min
On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel and New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil the latest movie from Ridley Scott, House of Gucci. When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), a woman whose glamor belies her working-class lifestyle, meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) at a party, she se...
Nov 26, 2021•51 min
On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and Slate editorial assistant Nadira Goffe to spoil the newest Marvel film, Eternals. The Eternals, a group of immortal beings with superpowers, reunite following an unexpected tragedy to fight the evil Deviants. Note: As the title indicates, this podca...
Nov 12, 2021•48 min
On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams to spoil the new adaptation of the 1965 sci-fi novel Dune. In the year 10,191, Paul Atreides, along with his family and people, must travel to a dangerous planet at the behest of the emperor of the universe. Once there, violence explodes and Paul must t...
Oct 29, 2021•46 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate senior editor Sam Adams is joined by Laura Miller, a books and culture columnist for Slate, to spoil the new Mike Flanagan miniseries Midnight Mass. Riley Flynn returns to his home on an offshore fishing village to find that the local priest has been replaced by a newcomer. The arrival of the magnetic Father Paul Hill bri...
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 6 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Rolling Stone’s chief TV critic and host of the popular podcast Too Long, Didn’t Watch, Alan Sepinwall to spoil the new Sopranos prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. The film follows a young Anthony Soprano, growing up in a very tumultuous era in Newark, N.J. Caught up in the c...
Oct 01, 2021•52 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by fellow Slate senior editor, Sam Adams, to spoil Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi is living a quiet, normal life in San Francisco working as a valet parking attendant with his best friend Katy when suddenly he’s confronted by his dark past. He soon rea...
Sep 17, 2021•59 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate contributor Isaac Butler and The New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil Mike White’s The White Lotus. What happens when a group of extremely privileged and wealthy people arrive at The White Lotus Resort in Hawaii for a week of relaxation in the sun? The answer is nothi...
Sep 04, 2021•1 hr 2 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s senior editor Sam Adams to spoil James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, a soft reboot of the original 2016 Suicide Squad. What happens when the US government brings together a few of the world’s most dangerous supervillains to save the day? You get chaos, blood, gore and The Suicide Sq...
Aug 20, 2021•54 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Slate’s web editor Nitish Pahwa to spoil Old, the new thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan. When a family takes a relaxing tropical vacation, they make a terrifying discovery. As the children play in the sand on a nearby secluded beach, their parents notice that in the span of...
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr 1 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Slate staff writer, Karen Han, to spoil Space Jam: A New Legacy, the long-awaited sequel to the original 1997 Space Jam starring Michael Jordan. This time, LeBron James finds himself trapped in digital space by a rogue AI villain. In order to get back home and save everyone, LeBr...
Jul 23, 2021•51 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer, Karen Han, to spoil Black Widow, the new Marvel origin story for one of it’s Avengers, Black Widow. Who was Black Widow before she became the beloved and troubled hero we’ve all come to know over the years? Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spo...
Jul 09, 2021•46 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens to spoil Luca, the new animated film from Pixar. Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, a young boy named Luca is experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures wit...
Jun 25, 2021•45 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by associate editor at Slate Marissa Martinelli and Slate’s new editorial intern Sofia Andrade to spoil In the Heights, the new film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s play of the same name. Set in Washington Heights, New York, a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies a vibrant and tight-knit...
Jun 11, 2021•58 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer, Dana Stevens, to spoil Cruella, the new Disney live-action origin story for one of it’s most infamous villains, Cruella de Vil. Who was Cruella before she became the Cruella we all know and hate? This teen-friendly backstory holds the answers. Note: As the title...
May 28, 2021•44 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Brow Beat nights and weekends editor Matthew Dessem is joined by Slate books and culture columnist Laura Miller to spoil Woman in the Window, the new Netflix thriller based on the book by A. J. Finn. Agoraphobic Dr. Anna Fox (Amy Adams) witnesses something she shouldn't while keeping tabs on the Russell family, the seem...
May 14, 2021•56 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate Brow Beat's nights and weekends editor, Matthew Dessem, to spoil Mortal Kombat, the new action/fantasy movie based on the 1990’s video game. Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden. Training with experienced figh...
Apr 30, 2021•46 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Brow Beat nights and weekends editor at Slate, Matthew Dessem, to spoil Godzilla vs. Kong, the new action-packed sci-fi movie from director Adam Wingard. Kong and his protectors go on a perilous journey to find his true home but soon find themselves in the path of an enraged Godz...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 11 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, the new adventure-filled comedy by real life best friends and the writers who brought us Bridesmaids, Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo. When lifelong best friends and roommates Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star ...
Apr 02, 2021•53 min
In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the comedy The Apartment (1960), directed by Billy Wilder. Other titles mentioned in the episode: Sunset Boulevard (1950) Butterfield 8 (1960) Conversations with Wilder Some Like It Hot (1959) Ace in the Hole (1951) Stalag 17 (1953) The Lost Weekend (1945) Double Indemnity (1944) Ball of Fire (1941) Ninotchka (1939) Nobody’s Perfect Brief Encounter (1946) Fast Times on Ridgemont High (1982) Dragnet Bonanza ...
Mar 21, 2021•1 hr 14 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s senior editor Sam Adams to spoil Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the new four hour artistic cut to its original counterpart. When Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists newfound ally Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) to face a greater threat than ever before, they have to work quickly to recruit...
Mar 19, 2021•50 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Slate staff writer Rachelle Hampton to spoil Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 hit comedy, Coming to America. Set in the royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an adventure that has them t...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr 4 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate features editor Jeffrey Bloomer and New York Times correspondent Ruth Graham to spoil Saint Maud, the feature film debut from writer and director Rose Glass. In this extremely eerie horror film, we meet Maud, (played by Morfydd Clark) a reclusive young nurse charged with the ...
Feb 19, 2021•55 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s TV critic Willa Paskin is joined by Slate writer and podcast host Nichole Perkins to spoil Bridgerton, the new period drama series on Netflix, produced by Shonda Rhimes. In this re-imagined adaptation of the romance novels by Julia Quinn, eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family attempt to find love. ...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han to spoil Promising Young Woman, the feature film debut from writer and director Emerald Fennell. In this visually captivating world, we meet Cassie, (played by Carey Mulligan) a wickedly smart and tantalizingly cunning young woman, living a secret doubl...
Jan 22, 2021•52 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Karen Han is joined by Slate writer and editor Dan Kois to spoil Soul, the new animated film from Pixar. After landing himself in the realm of the “great beyond”, middle school band teacher Joe Gardner tries desperately to make it back to Earth in time for his Jazz gig. But his journey takes a turn when he tries to help...
Jan 08, 2021•45 min
Flashback is usually for Slate Plus members only. To listen to other episodes of the show, sign up for Slate Plus. In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), directed by David Lean. Other titles mentioned in the episode: Seven Pillars of Wisdom 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Saving Private Ryan (1998) Ben Hur (1959) The Ten Commandments (1956) Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) The Lord...
Dec 13, 2020•2 hr 3 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Dana Stevens is joined by Slate’s Brow Beat’s nights and weekends editor Matthew Dessem to spoil Mank, the new film about the making of another film, Citizen Kane. Will Herman Mankiewicz, a troubled alcoholic (played by Gary Oldman), finish his script in time for his deadline? Will anyone like the film? And how does a C...
Dec 11, 2020•59 min
On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Christina Cauterucci and June Thomas discuss Happiest Season, a charming new Christmas rom-com from writer-director Clea DuVall that premiered on Hulu on Nov. 25. Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) invites her girlfriend, Abby (Kristen Stewart) home for Christmas. Right before they arrive, Harper shares that the people in her ho...
Nov 27, 2020•54 min
